Technical Field
This invention pertains to the technical sector of the meat transformation and packaging industry, and especially pertains to a process for continuous manufacturing of pasteurized and dried minced meat, reconstituted into thin slabs. The invention also pertains to a unit used to implement the said process.
Description of the Related Art
According to the prior art, a process was devised to allow the minced meat to be packaged in fine portions that could then be presented in containers for their marketing.
The state of the art process, especially evident in the French patent application no. FR 2 827 122, is particularly remarkable in that it implements the following phases for minced meat, for continuously obtaining salted and dried minced meat, reconstituted into thin slabs.
The first phase consists of finely mincing more or less choice cuts of meat in a grinder-mixer.
After the grinder-mixer has finished its operation, the second phase consists of transporting the minced meat in a meat pump, which will shape it into a continuous tube or a continuous flattened strip.
The third phase consists of unwinding a film in one or more parts, which will constitute a sealed sheath around the continuous tube or strip of minced meat.
The fourth phase consists of passing the said sheathed tube or strip of minced meat through a rolling device, which will allow the minced meat to be spread in the shape of a strip, in a thin layer, in a compact state and with a texture that does not show distinct parts of the meat itself.
The fifth phase consists of continuously unrolling the stretched minced meat strip in a bath of a dehydration-salting solution.
The sixth phase, after being removed from the solution bath, consists of removing the film that comprises the sheath.
The seventh phase consists of transporting the thin strip of rolled and dried minced meat to a cutting and packaging station.
This process has several advantages, both in terms of productivity as well as presentation of the product. However, the microbiological stabilization of the dried meat obtained from this process is still tricky to obtain and can be improved further. Moreover, the phase of the process that, after removal from the solution bath, consists of removing the film that comprises the sheath has a few drawbacks in that the sheath sticks to the meat, which is a significant hindrance.